Album news – Halestorm, Annihilator, Pänzer, Soen

Atlantic recording group Halestorm have unveiled details of their third EP of cover songs. Produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Korn), ReAniMate 3: The CoVeRs eP will arrive in stores and at all digital retailers and streaming services on Friday, January 6th. The EP can be pre-ordered [amazon text=on Amazon&asin=B01N1I8FDU] right now, at which point you’ll be able to download the first track right away.

The tracklist:

Still Of The Night (Originally Performed By Whitesnake)

Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover (Originally Performed By Sophie B. Hawkins)

I Hate Myself For Loving You (Originally Performed By Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)

The main disc comprises a set of Annihilator’s classics performed acoustically, with band leader/guitarist/ songwriter and vocalist Jeff Waters bringing together band members Aaron Homma and Rich Hinks, Vancouver BC drummer and friend Marc LaFrance plus Ottawa session player Pat Robillard. Recorded and mixed by Waters, this quintet recorded everything live, off the floor and in single takes at Watersound Studios in Dunrobin, Canada during late May and early June, 2016, giving Waters one of the most challenging, satisfying and perhaps ‘electric’ creative moments in his career.

The second disc will feature Annihilator’s vicious set from the 2016 Bang Your Head Festival. A set, which illustrates the very best of what Annihilator is known for – tight, sharp, technically-excellent and melodic thrash metal music. It will also contain some exclusive inside-Annihilator off-stage perspective, which captures further elements, flavours and detail of the band, which fans will flip over.

Triple Threat will be available in several formats, including DVD/2CDs, Blu-Ray/2CDs, a [amazon text=2CD audio-only&asin=B01NCENU6H] and [amazon text=digital download&asin=B01NCDXHXW] (Amazon links, benefit our site).

Pänzer

After their debut attack titled Send Them All To Hell in 2014 (review here), it became a little too quiet around the heavy metal super group Pänzer. But the soldiers around Destruction frontman Schmier never sleep, and now they have announced that they are working on new songs again – with a new line-up! After the departure of Herman Frank (Accept), Pänzer recruited Pontus Norgren of Hammerfall to help out with their mission, as well as V.O. Pulver (G.U.R.D., Poltergeist) on guitar, who had already helped out on the latest live shows, and has now became a fulltime member of Pänzer.

Fans of the band can expect a loud comeback in 2017, since Schmier has already revealed some great news about the band’s future plans:

(The German) Pänzer was always about some friends jamming their favourite music, without any pressure of the business and exaggerated expectations. We have decided to release this brand new song “Satan’s Hollow” for the fans as a statement, because people ask me all the time “Will Pänzer go on?” This track simply shows that we are creative and working on a new record for 2017! The next album will continue our tribute to our roots with pure fuckin’ METAL! Oh and one more little thing – as we have a Swedish and Swiss member now, just simply call us Pänzer!”

Soen

Soen, the progressive group featuring the otherworldly driven drumming of Martin Lopez (formerly of Amon Amarth and Opeth) and the dynamic voice of Joel Ekelöf (Willowtree), have been taking another trip into uncharted waters for the past few months at Ghostward Studios and Deepwell, Stockholm, Sweden.

Their previous travels saw Soen start to visualize, and explore their pathway, with 2012’s Cognitive undoubtedly drawing influence from modern progressive rock characteristics before 2014’s Tellurian saw Soen start to stride freely into their own power and unique visions. In fact, Tellurian was the album which saw the band embracing the experimental spirit of pioneering travelers like Pink Floyd while retaining the power, force and influence of Opeth and others.

Soen’s music is so much more than an easy ‘category.’ “This has never been about genres, it’s always been about the journey we need to take both musically and personally,” says Lopez, “and what we’re working on right now is another adventure, another journey which in some ways is quite different again but also builds upon the experiences we’ve had over the last few years.”

This Soen journey is more than that.

Lykaia will be released on 3rd February 2017, both CD (first limited edition bonus tracks) and gatefold 180gr. vinyl with download card.